Lawmaker in probe row with Hong Kong leader makes voluntary declaration on legal tussle
Pan-democrat accused of conflict of interest says he was not obliged to state he was being sued by the chief executive
Pan-democratic Kenneth Leung declared in a letter to the Legislative Council select committee on Wednesday that he was involved in “ongoing civil litigation” with the city’s leader, who has repeatedly demanded he quit the probe for failing to make such a declaration and being prejudiced against him.
The committee was set up last year after it emerged that Leung had received HK$50 million following Australian company UGL’s 2011 purchase of DTZ, an insolvent property firm of which he was a director. Leung received the payment after his election as chief executive but did not declare it to his cabinet.
Kenneth Leung, who has vowed to stay on the committee, said: “This declaration falls outside the scope of requirements of declaration under section 83A.”
He added that it was a voluntary move, citing rules stating that only members who had a related “pecuniary interest” in such cases needed to declare.